The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-03-24
The Dying Gasp.

The County Democratic Committee.
after three different meetings and trials,
have succeeded in putting themselves in
a hole and pulling the hole in after them.
Recognizing the fact that the Ring had
gotten itself into disfavoc with the peo--
pie, because Of the cut and dried results
which have attended its past action, at the
first meeting of the Committee it was sub
stantially determined to have go aS-you-
please race for county offices this spring.
A clamor was raised about this by those
who were conscious that the people would
not endorse their claims at the ballot-box,
and the committee was reconvened. After
a regular and an adjourned session last Sat
urday it was finally determined to adopt the
''Botetourt plan to ascertain who is the
most available partizan to concentrate
upon to run for non-partizan office. That
plan is novel and certainly an original
continuance by which the Democratic ma
jority in Botetourt county has been re-
duced from 500 to less than 100. 1t pro-
vides that sealed ballot boxes shall be taken
around to the residence OF each Democrat
lc voter in the county by sworn employ
ees of the Committee to receive the bal
lots of the voters, indicating their choice
among the competing candidates. 1t is a
kind of inquisitorial proceedings to COM
pei men to vote who may not desire to take
part in the contest, or who probably may
have concluded to wait until the day of
election to determine their choice. 1t is
not plan to commend itself to the inde-
pendent, manly men of Augusta county.
They know that the Jaw Of the State pro-
vides way to reach election results, and
outside of that they do not care to go
They certainly will not be anxious to res
cue the Committee from the awkward pre-.
dicament in which it has placed itself, nor
aid it to escape from the brand of incompe-
tency that rests upon it..by conforming TO
the expedient adopted to throw off respon-
sibility. When the Committee found that
it was not equal to the duties which it as
sumed when it's members accepted ser
vice, why did they not each one resign at
once, and return to the constituent body
the delegated power he confssses he is
Incapable of properly exercising. The
people have bother enough about the many
legal elections, when they are called upon
to 90 to their respective voting places to
deposit their ballots, without having their
pi emisesinvaaed by the peripatectic agents
of an incompetent and self accused com
mittee, nosing about their homes and dis
turning their quiet in the interest of Of
flee seekers.
The best thing and the right thing for
the people to do, will be to let loose the
real dogs of war" when the circuit-rider
approaches them with his sealed ballot
box, and allow tray, blanch and sweet
hearth to answer his untimely and un-
seemly intrusion. 1t is the superlative of
impudence for the self-condemned com
mittee to attempt TO force from the people
an expression of their choice before the le-
gal time arrives for them to do so. They
are capable of thinking and voting for
themselves, and will Go so at the proper
time. without the interference of timer
ant agents to press them to do that for
which there is DO law, no precedent and
no common sense to warrant.
1t is the expiring gasp of the Ring, how
ever, and probably the best they could do.
But the people will not manifest the
weakness and the want of self-respect,
that seryile compliance with the orders
of the Committee would imply. 1t is a
good time to settle old scores with the
Ring. by refusing to recognize this extra
ordinary expedient, and for the voters to
reserve to themselves the right to express
their choice, under the forms of law, al d
when the appointed time comes to deposit
a ballot that will have legal effect and sig
ni6cance.